Business of Sport

Hello and welcome to our brand new show, The Breakdown. I’m Charlie Stebbings, and joining me on this ride is legendary sports executive Charlie Methven. With his boundless energy and unfiltered opinions, and my carefully constructed guiding influence, we’ll bring you the rundown on the week’s biggest sporting business stories. For the first show, we’re extending the timeframe slightly to cover what has happened over the holiday period, including the departures of Amorim and Maresca, Brooks Koepka’s abandonment of the once promising LIV Golf project, and of course, the conclusion of the most disappointing Ashes Tour in memory… well for me at least.This is Business of Sport: The Breakdown----------------------------------------------------Timestamps:00:00 Intro02:45 The Managerial Merry-Go-Round30:26 Saudi Investment In Elite Sport43:37 Saudi’s Attention On Golf44:44 The European Tour01:03:09 Predictions On Test Match Cricket01:05:27 Harry Brooks01:09:09 The Physical Responsibility In Cricket

What does it cost for the biggest brands to sponsor the biggest sports? Why do they do it? How do they choose what to put their name to?The money behind sport is a primary feature of the show, but it’s normally from the perspective of the sports property. How big a sponsorship can Liverpool attract and what does it do to the bottom line. So to kick off the new year, we thought we’d change that. Antoine Le Nel is the Chief Marketing Officer of Revolut, the global challenger bank now investing millions into multiple sports properties, most notably as Audi’s new title sponsor for their debut F1 season. The reasoning behind this move, a look at how brands recognise value, how they justify spend; this was all part of a fascinating insight into the inflows of sport business. And it’s not just F1: women’s football, rugby, NFL, they’re all part of the growing portfolio Revolut are leveraging to develop the business in multiple markets. Antoine’s key explanation here is telling us why sport is such a powerful way for them and other top brands to do this.On today’s show we discuss: Why Revolut Went Big in Sport:How the Audi Revolut F1 partnership came together and why F1 is a “go big or go home” sponsorship environment.How Revolut’s growth strategy shifted five years ago from pure performance marketing to building a global brand.Why sport became a critical upper-funnel lever to build credibility, open new segments, and compete with traditional banks.The NBA partnership as the proof point that sport could deliver real ROI, not just awareness.Global vs Local Sponsorship Strategy:Why Revolut splits its sports portfolio into two layers: global IPs to differentiate at scale, and local teams to drive cultural relevance.How operating in 39 markets gives Revolut a structural advantage when sponsoring truly global sports like Formula One.Why most competitors simply cannot afford global sponsorships and how Revolut “divides the cost by 20” internally.The Future of Sports Sponsorship:Why teams must evaluate partners beyond cash, focusing on long-term IP growth and innovation.How tech brands like Revolut and Spotify are reshaping how clubs think about sponsorship.Why modern sponsorship is about partnership, product and shared growth, not logos and cheques.A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: Gemini SportsWe empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth https://geminisports.ai/

Over the past year, we’ve gone inside football’s boardrooms, dressing rooms and balance sheets. This episode brings the most revealing moments together in one place.Welcome to The Business of Sport: Football Review.Across this compilation, we bring together the best moments from our recent football conversations to explore how money really shapes the game. From transfer fees and player contracts to ownership structures and decision-making power, this episode looks at the forces operating behind the pitch.Featuring club executives and leaders from across the football pyramid, we dig into why wages inflate faster than revenues, how promotion and relegation transform balance sheets overnight, and why running a football club is as much about survival as success.----------------------------------------------------Timestamps:00:00 Intro00:34 Peter Kenyon - Fmr CEO of Man Utd & Chelsea08:09 Liam Dooley - Shrewsbury Town CEO14:22 Rick Parry - EFL Chair24:25 Pablo Longoria - Marseille President30:09 Ryan Sparks - Bradford City CEO35:18 Ryan Bertrand - Fmr Premier League Player39:30 Spencer Owen - Hashtag Utd Owner

Today, we’re doing something a little different. Welcome to the Business of Sport: F1 Review.Over the past year, we’ve sat down with some of the most influential figures in Formula One. Team principals, world champions, and senior leaders shaping the sport behind the scenes. For this episode, we’ve handpicked the best moments from those conversations and brought them together into one definitive F1 compilation to enjoy over the festive period.Across the episode, we dive into what actually separates winning teams from the rest of the grid. From culture and leadership, to marginal gains, long-term strategy, and the human pressures that define life at the very top of motorsport.You’ll hear from voices including Nico Rosberg, Guenther Steiner, Claire Williams, James Vowles, and Zak Brown.----------------------------------------------------Timestamps:00:00 Intro00:42 James Vowles15:07 Guenther Steiner23:08 Zak Brown27:03 Claire Williams34:27 Nico Rosberg

Today, we’re going headfirst back into the world of the tier one football executive. Peter Moore is the former CEO of Liverpool, the man who oversaw the clubs return to the top of English and European football. Working alongside Jurgen Klopp from 2017-2020, this was one of the most effective ‘performance x business’ relationships in modern football. How do you win on the pitch and build value off it?Peter does not wrap his achievements in the on-field success experienced during his tenure; as you’ve just heard, it is the rediscovered affection and identity that fans found with the club that demonstrates a job well done. That’s quite an extraordinary stance for a CEO to have. Commercial maximisation and fan sentiment are hard to balance, and while there is always conflict over ticket prices or pre-season tours, we get something here which seems to recognise the importance of the club/fan relationship and asset value maximisation.An interesting time to be having this chat considering Liverpool’s recent struggles on the pitch and the Mo Salah situation, there is also plenty to go into around his role with Wrexham and the rise to prominence of football in the US. We’re delighted to welcome Peter to the Business of Sport.Timestamps:00:00 Intro06:10 Getting the Call to be Liverpool CEO09:15 "I Probably Wasn't A Good Fit For The Role"11:47 Not Involved in Football Transfers18:17 Google x Liverpool20:04 Liverpool is Immune to Winning & Losing22:23 Magic of Jurgen Klopp34:19 Funny Story: Did Liverpool Tap Up VVD?37:19 The Power of Star Players39:45 Mo Should’nt Have Said That46:53 Socialist Roots in a Capitalist Football Club52:44 Did Peter Get On With The Owners?54:13 Wrexham: Peter's InvolvementOn today’s show we discuss: How a Modern Football Club Really Works:How a Scouse kid who grew up in a pub ended up running a $7B gaming company and then Liverpool FC.Breaking down the structure: Jurgen Klopp in football, Michael Edwards on the balance-sheet, Billy Hogan on commercial, and Peter on operations.Running matchdays, hosting rival owners, managing 800 staff, and being the global face of a club with hundreds of millions of fans.Why his leadership philosophy ultimately distilled into four C’s: Community, Civic, Commercial and CultureBuilding the Liverpool Business Machine: How Liverpool rebuilt its commercial spine: CRM, global fan acquisition, digital content, funnel strategy, and personalisation.How global content like Inside Anfield reshaped the club’s relationship with 99% of fans who will never visit the stadium.Why the F&B and stadium expansion debate is about operational flow, not squeezing fans and how multi-generational matchday culture shapes decision-making.Jurgen Klopp, Culture & the Power of a Manager:The first moment he met Klopp and why he instantly thought: “This man is a modern Shankly.”Why the culture around Klopp, not individual players, is what the fans ultimately defend… including during moments like the current Mo Salah dispute.The unique Scouse belief that “the badge is bigger than any player”, and how that gives Liverpool a cultural advantage.Celebrity Ownership, Wrexham & the Power of Content:The story of how Rob McElhenney showed up at his house to recruit him for Wrexham.Why he advised them early on and helped legitimise the project, including getting Wrexham into FIFA.Breaking down what Reynolds and McElhenney get right and why content is the real multiplier modern clubs underestimate.A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: StrydeBringing sports investment opportunities to your door. Visit http://www.gostryde.com to become part of the movement!